Tofu Pepper Naan Sandwiches – by, Prachi Garg

I bet you’re going to fall in love… Soon, after reading this post! ;)

During these 4 years of blogging, I have met so many wonderful fellow-bloggers virtually… I keep visiting their spaces, drop my likes/comments, chat with them at times. But sometimes I feel sort of instant connection with my own reasons! :D My guest today is a lovely lady (the most recent IC) – Prachi of DivineSpiceBox… Of course we share the same interests i.e. cooking & blogging but more than that, we both are from the same city!!! I have lived in Ahmedabad for all years of my life (until I moved here) and it’s an awesome feeling to get in touch with someone who love the city as much as I do ;) And if I talk about her blog… why don’t you hop over there and check out her collection of recipes! Look at her photography skills, look at those fusion dishes… and yes yes yes, don’t miss to check out Moong Stuffed Calzone Buns :) I have bookmarked the one to try out sometime soon…

Last week, we had a quick fb chat (while I was in kitchen, making brunch) and during that short conversation, I invited her to do a guest-post for me and yes, she took it up instantly :) And I’m a sagittarian, you know… I get my self doing anything for those who I like!!! But there you see a big difference between me & Prachi… I’ve got a couple of pics (already processed), just waiting to be drafted with recipe but I’m not doing it (lazy me, you know) :P And there she is… I got her email with pics, recipe & introduction part within a day!!! :D Anyways… Let’s see what she has got for her :)

Hi I am Prachi Garg, a fellow food blogger and a foodie at heart. I love to experiment with vegetarian cooking and enjoy the pleasure of good company and fresh ingredients in my kitchen to dish out recipes for my blog called “Divine Spice Box”. I am here today to bring to the table a dish which i think is reflective of my style of cooking – Simple , healthy recipes with an International palate. I hope you like it.

First things first … I would like to start this blog entry by expressing my gratitude towards this lovely lady Shruti. She has been ever so kind to give me a space on her amazing and well articulated blog and accept me for a guest post entry. I have been a big fan of her work and it amazes me to see her bring life to new delicacies. Have known her as “Cookingwithsj” for a while now but it was only a few days ago that we interacted on fb and learned more about each other. I am glad we connected! Figured out we shared not only passion for cooking but also shared the love for Gujarat, its culture and food. It has been lovely to find a friend in Shruti, sitting thousands of miles away from me. Thanks Shruti!

Now, without further ado, lets take this culinary trip.. shall we? I have been blogging for over 1.5 years now and i have seen myself growing as a person and as a cook with each recipe i posted. “Divine Spice Box” started in mid 2013 as an attempt to capture my daily interactions with food. I was born and raised in Delhi, India and hence imbibed traditional Indian cooking practices. When i got married and shifted to Canada in 2013, i realized that there was a plethora of cuisines and ingredients which i had never seen or worked with and they used to ignite some sort of passion inside me towards food. I started experimenting and created a liking for International fusion food. Over my 2 years in Canada, i met some amazing people from all over the world and started teaching the basics of Indian cooking to people. Recently i have shifted to US and hope to gather more inspiration around.

This dish is a simple, quick and healthy meal which is protein rich and is an interesting amalgamation of Indian Naan and Sabzi concept with Sandwiches which are handy and tiffin friendly. Easy to prepare and fun to eat, this dish is great to conceal all the healthy ingredients in a Naan sandwich for picky eaters. Try it, you will fall in love with it!

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes : 4 Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

4 Naans
Oil for brushing on top of Naans for Grilling
50 gms Cheddar/ Mozzarella cheese, grated

For Filling–

100 gms Tofu (Firm/ Extra Firm), grated . You can also use cottage cheese, ricotta or feta cheese if you like though tofu will be most healthy
1 cup julienne Bell peppers – Red/Orange/ Yellow/ Green
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt and pepper to taste

– Panini Maker for grilling

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

We will begin with preparing the filling.

1. For this, take a pan, pour oil to it and heat it up.
2. Next, add in the cumin seeds and let it splutter and release its flavours. Now, add in the bell peppers, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Mix well and saute on high flame for a couple of minutes.
3. Next, add in the grated tofu, garam masala, salt and pepper and mix well. Let it saute for a minute and then shut the flame.
4. Now, remove the filling from the pan and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add in the chopped coriander and mix well. Let the mixture cool down a bit. The filling is ready.

Assembling and making the Naan Sandwich

1. Begin with pre-heating the panini maker and keep it ready.
2. Now, for assembling the Naan sandwiches, take one Naan and cut it in half (across the width). The 2 portions will form the base and the top of the Naan sandwich.
3. Sprinkle some grated cheese on the base of 1 portion and then spread a generous amount of filling on top of the cheese. Next, finish the filling with another sprinkle of grated cheese on top and then gently place the other half of the Naan and press tightly.
4. Now, slight oil the base of the panini maker with a oil spray or a few drops of oil and then place the Naan Sandwich on it. Grill this for about 2-3 minutes (depending on the charr you like on the Naan. Also the cheese should melt and stick the filling with the portions of the Naan. Tofu Pepper Naan Sandwich is ready.

Prachi’s Note:

• The filling should ideally be cooled down before using between the Naan. Hot filling will make the Naan soggy faster.
• You can also use Pita pockets for this recipe, especially when you plan to make ahead and carry.
• Make sure that the cheese melts while grilling so that it binds the filling with the Naan.

These Naan sandwiches are so delicious and comforting. It has the taste and the health, all sandwiched together into a comforting and amazing meal. Serve it with the mint-coriander chutney or try a new route and give it a go with sichuan sauce or a soothing tzatziki. I would like to thank Shruti once again for getting me onboard with her blog and for giving an opportunity to share my recipe with you all. I hope you like this recipe. Please feel free to explore my blog for more recipes. Enjoy!